03: Create the new what?

The newcreator’s work

Innovation, change and problem solving work are modes of now-to-new work.

No matter how the project is framed by the people involved, the purpose of any innovation, change or problem solving project is bringing about a shift from the way things are right now to a new reality — a new now — in which the desired result has been accomplished. The new product or service has been launched, the change has happened or the problematic situation is a thing of the past.

Imagine that three people meet to discuss a prospective joint project. Person A frames it as an innovation project. Person B thinks it’s a problem solving project. Person C considers it a change project. Consequently there’s no shared language, no common mental model and no collective understanding, resulting in crossed wires and the design and deployment of a suboptimal intervention.

The now-to-new frame fosters unity of purpose and focused collaborative action by providing clear distinctions and straightforward conceptual frameworks that everyone agrees to adopt.

Read the article: A typical now-to-new project from start to finish